


A Grave Encounter

by AlexBarton



Series: Adventures in Karamore: The Cardinal Locks [5]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Karamore - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Karamore, Necromancy, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 09:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20872022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexBarton/pseuds/AlexBarton
Summary: Dorian gets another surprise after fighting a zombie.Karamore was created by the amazingly talented CaptainMorgan.Based on our D&D escapades.





	A Grave Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> We met Joshua in Addersfield initially, where we killed a bunch of gnolls that were attacking the town. She was in Myer when we got back from Aron's Fort and Vollun.
> 
> Angela is the woman who took Kis in when she arrived in Brakenstead. 
> 
> Re: what happened in Vollun - Dorian came out to the other party members.

The group trickled back towards the Cozy Goat inn to meet Joshua for drinks after running their various errands around Myer.

She was standing at the bar when Dorian walked in, and she smiled and waved him over.

“Glad you could make it.”

Dorian nodded to her and took the tankard she passed along. “Thanks for the drink.”

“Well, it was the least I could do after your help in Addersfield.”

Kis appeared at Dorian’s elbow, and Joshua slid her a tankard as well.

Dorian raised an eyebrow. “She’s underage.”

Joshua winked. “I did say I would buy everyone a drink.”

In his periphery, Dorian saw Boralus head upstairs as Elijah and Kaide made their way over to the bar. Tankards in hand, the group sat at a table of soldiers playing cards.

Dorian watched the game progress, only looking away when Elijah stood up.

“Getting another drink?”

The cleric shook his head. “That man sitting by himself in the corner over there is turning blue. I’m going to check on him.”

Elijah took a few steps toward the figure, hearing a set of faint pops before the chest burst open with a puff of dark purple smoke, which coalesced into the shape of the Reed of the Masters.

Dorian stood up quickly, dread filling his chest at the sight, and cast at the ambling corpse; but in his panic, he missed and shattered the window.

From there, the party attacked the zombie while the soldiers got the civilians out of the tavern.

Dorian heard a vague cry of, “Someone get the captain!” but with the adrenaline rush in his ears, the sounds of frightened people faded away.

After a few well placed firebolts and bolts of lightning, the corpse seemed to stumble and fall. 

And then got right back up.

Realisation dawned on Dorian. “We can’t kill it by normal means,” he shouted to the group, “It can only die from a radiant force.”

Elijah tried casting _Sacred Flame_, but it missed, and the creature continued forward.

Suddenly, the door to the tavern burst open and a burst of golden light in the shape of a sword passed through Dorian and struck the creature, causing it to crumple to the ground unmoving.

“What the fuck is a zombie doing in Myer,” came the voice of none other than Captain Cassidy Conley.

Dorian stiffened. A paladin. The man he had been fantasizing about was a _ paladin_.

When no answer was forthcoming from the rest of his companions, Dorian sighed and answered stiffly. “Did Chaz tell you about what happened at Aron’s fort?

By now, the other soldiers had returned and were milling about in the doorway behind their captain.

“Chaz? No? He made his report and we reassigned him to Addersfield for the time being.”

Dorian eyed the growing throng of soldiers. “Perhaps this is best discussed... not in public.”

“Anything you need to say can be said in front of my men.”

Dorian sighed again. “There was a rakshasa. It had a symbol called the Reed of the Masters, and that same symbol came out of the smoke in the corpse. I would assume they are connected somehow.”

At the mention of the demon, the soldiers began muttering amongst themselves. Cassidy pulled Joshua aside and began speaking with her. After they came to some kind of consensus, Cassidy turned back to the group.

“If something can control a zombie from outside of Myer, I suggest you leave as soon as possible. It’s not safe here.”

The four group members looked at each other, at a loss for what to do. Finally, Elijah spoke up.

“Well. We weren’t planning on staying long. I guess our stay will be shorter than expected.”

Cassidy nodded. “Come by and see me before you head out.”

* * *

The next day, the group heads towards the town hall in search of Town Herald Taryn. They find him bent over his desk, scribbling notes furiously, dark circles under his eyes.

Dorian knocks on the door frame, causing the man to jump in surprise.

“Uh, Taryn. You don’t look so good. I take it you heard?”

He nods once.

“Well, uh, we won’t take too much of your time. We’re looking for Cassidy. We’re heading out and he said to stop by before we left.”

He waves a hand. “He should be at the training grounds at this time of day. Check there or the barracks.”

The group files out and Dorian dips his head at the tired man slumping over his desk.

“Well, I’m sure we’ll see you around Taryn. Get some rest.”

He chuckles weakly.

Dorian joins the rest of the party members and they make the short walk over to the barracks and training grounds. They stop a passing soldier who tells them that Cassidy is in his office at the top floor of one of the barracks buildings.

When they enter his office, Dorian sees the captain sitting at his desk, looking at reports. He looks up.

“Oh hey. Are you heading out already?”

Elijah shrugs. “Wasn’t much reason to stay.”

“Where are you heading?”

Kis replies this time, “Osten, and then Brakenstead.”

Cassidy’s face lights up. “Brakenstead, huh? I have a contact out that way. Angela.”

Kis’ eyes widen, and she stammers, “Oh... oh, really? That’s... neat.”

“Yeah. Anyway. With this rakshasa running around, I think you guys should take an escort with you.”

“We’ll pass,” Dorian grits out.

Cassidy looks surprised. “It’s not safe out there.”

Dorian crosses his arms. “We are well aware. And we can handle it. Besides, if it’s so dangerous, we wouldn’t want to pull any soldiers away from defending Myer.”

Cassidy grins rakishly. “Well, just one soldier. Me.”

Dorian freezes internally, panic flooding his limbs, turning them to lead. An echelon already knows that he’s a necromancer, and it’s only by the grace of the gods that their two clerics haven’t noticed yet. He doesn’t need a more powerful, more perceptive paladin tagging along. Not to mention that the man was ridiculously good looking, and Dorian already had a history of stammering like a love-struck fool in front of him.

Outwardly, he simply raises an eyebrow. “You would leave your men without their commander?”

Cassidy waves his hand, brushing the comment off. “There are other commanders of higher rank than me. One man is all we can spare, and I’m more than happy to make sure you all will be safe out there.”

Dorian is so tense that even his fellow party members have picked up on it. “Again, thank you for the offer, but we’ll pass.”

“Hold on,” Kis interjects, mischief in her eyes, “Another fighter would be helpful.”

Elijah agrees and starts talking with Cassidy about logistics while Kis makes eye contact with Dorian, smirking. 

“Why don’t you want him coming along?” she whispers, “I would have thought you would be glad to spend more time around him.”

Dorian grimaces and whispers back, “It’s... personal.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Does this have to do with what you said in Vollun?”

Dorian latches onto the excuse with relief. “Something like that.”

Cassidy drops into the conversation then with, “What happened in Vollun?”

“Nothing,” Dorian says quickly, “Nothing, it’s... personal.”

“... Right.”

Dorian hurries on. “Well. We had best be off.”

“Hold on a second,” Elijah says, putting a hand on Dorian’s shoulder, “I think he should come with us.”

Kaide nods her agreement.

“Fine,” Dorian grits his teeth, “We’ll put it to a vote. Those in favour of the captain coming with us?”

Everyone except Dorian puts their hand up.

Dorian rolls his eyes at Cassidy. “_You _ don’t get a vote.”

The paladin just grins again, but keeps his hand up.

Dorian pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs yet again. “Fine. I am outvoted.”

He turns and makes his way across the city to the stables, unconcerned if the rest of the group is following him.

Great. An echelon hovering and watching him for any mistakes, and now a paladin travelling in close quarters with him. Just what he needs. 

**Author's Note:**

> A N Y W A Y S apparently I was the only one in our group who didn't figure out that Cassidy was a paladin when we first met him. What can I say.
> 
> For more information on Karamore, see our campaign Tumblr:  
karamore-aesthetic.tumblr.com


End file.
